Apparatus for making tires.



J. N. SATTERTHWAITE.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING TIRES.

APPLICATION r1LBD-1 .':o.2,1e11.

1,035,749. Patented Aug. 18,1912.

ENTTEE sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

JOSEPH NORMAN SATTER'I'HWAITE, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 EMPIRE TIRE COMPANY, 0F TRENTON, NEJV JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING TIRES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 191.2.

Application filed December 2, 1911. Serial No. 663.502.

which a pneumatic tire shoe is built up andformed, and suitable pads or side rings each of which comprises a body of non-metallic and more or less flexible material, such as fabric or the like, internally reinforced by an annular metallic stitl'ening member embedded in and surrounded by the body of the pad in such a manner that the metal reinforce cannot contact with a tire shoe when in use, each pad being shaped on an inner face so as to engage closely the exterior surface of the lower part and side of a tire shoe, and having an outer face so contoured that the outer surface of the final assemblage of core, tire shoes, and mold pads is substantially smooth and free of rentrant angles; all as more fully hereinafter described and as claimed.

In curing or vulcanizing pneuiiiat-ic tire shoes, it has heretofore been the general practice to build up the tire shoe on a suitably shaped mandrel and then clamp the' tire shoe to Athe mandrel by means of metallic rings directly engaging and contacting with either the greater portion of the tire exterior, or in some cases, only with the lower portion and sides of the tire shoe. The resulting assemblage is then generally wrapped with moist fabric, tape or rags and the tireis nally subjected to a vulcanizing operation such as a treatment With live steam for a suitable period. It is found that. under these 'conditions the different portions Vof the outer sui-face of thel tire cure or vulcanize different-ly where the portions are and are notin contact with metal during the process. The character of the cure obtained where the rubber is not in contact with metal, often referred to as the open cure, is generally believed to be superior to that where there is a Contact of rubber with metal. The open cured portion of a tire shoe is usually distinguishable by the markings on it ofthe fabric used to wrap the tire, while the other portions of the tire surface which are cured in contact with metal are generally smooth and somewhat darker in color. The appearance of a tire whose surface is thus partially open cured and partially cured in contact with metal, is undesirable in the trade, and furthermore, the wearing qualities of the tiro are. as a rule, not uniform over the entire surface, the metal cured and open cured portions ditl'ering materially in this respect as well as in appearance.

Various methods and forms of apparatus have been proposed heretofore to remedy the foregoing disadvantages. Until recently however it has always been considered necessary to clamp at least the lower portions of the tire, including a portion of the sides, between metallic pressure rings tightly drawn toward cach other by suitable bolts or other securing means. ln all such forms of apparatus, the disadvantages above pointed out are of course unavoidable to a greater or less degree. In an application of Charles ll. Semple, Serial No. 612,812,- tiled March 7. 1911, and copending herewith, (matured into Patent 1,034,372) there is described and claimed, however, anapparatus for molding tires in which are employed mold pads or rings of non-metallic and more or less flexible material and of such a character that when`the assemblage of'core, tire, and mold pads is wrapped with tape. a. substantially uniform constrictive pressure is obtained over the ent-ire exterior of the tire slice. Furthermore, since the mold pads are generally of fabric material, the appearance of the ent-ire outer tire surface -after vulcaiiization is uniform and shows the fabric markings characteristic of the open cure method. The character of the cure itself is also of course more uniform. These fabric pads have proved highly successful in practice and are far superior to the metallic side rings of the prior art.

It isthe object of the present invention to aPP secure still more certain changes i Mold pads like th copending a such as fric vwith rubber), are apt a time to Warp somewhat an difficulties iii securing p with the v'tire f This is due p rob lthe contained alternate wetti cidental to th and subsequent treatment with The non-m more orless s and deformation. In the present i aratus which of the fabric ipads scribed and secur advantages while iculties. I provi drel, which may ing to the parti which the tire sh `In conjunctio annular mold of which com such as fabric bedded and isola nular member. ad is non-met which may be in a more since it is mor in the non-ni body of the pad. inforcing member vent the warp or The reinforcenien An annular pad is ber,

use. sired shape, lar cross section einb of the pad is found i cellent results. reinforcing mem outliney similar to is embedded., a sult is secured. the metallic rei be so located within t tial mass or layer of terial ofl the pad member from the ied thereto. In

appl

from the u resulting silient non-me .deformation o vented.

In. the accom tain embodiment In this showing, sections of appara results by employed. n the said f fabric, bric treated tervv use for some d occasion some engagement the annular core. in part to the curing of d to the repeated of' the pad in th. moist tape steam under terial' ofthe -b3ect to this warping advantageous n the means ose disclosed i tioned fabric ng and 'drying d new cular circrl th this mandrel pads or ring prises nonv or the like The4 surface allie and the rein be of steel, may be said to condition, lding'ly supported forming he f this ree or less yie etallic material The dimensions o shouldbe such as to reof the pa in t may be of any deband of rectangun the lower partctice to give eX- lso found that if the f a cross sectional d inwhich it dvantageous rebe the form of ber it should d that a substantallic mathat of the pa n even more a the non-me aces the reinforcing flexible and reained, while ds is effectually predrawings I yhave mmatically, cersent invention.

1 and 2 are cross or they may extend a short distance there-y e for making beyond, in order to preventflow of the rubless diagra s ofthe pre tus suitabl clencher tires, showing different forms of similar views of apparatus A suitable for making straight-edge tires.'

is an annularl core or mandrel which may be hollow as shown, or which may be solid, and which is conveniently made of cast iron or other suitable material. 2 is atire shoe or-body mounted on the core, this tire shoe being of the clencher type as indicated. Pads 3 abutting, ornearly abutting, at` 4 are built'up of ynon-metallic material, generally of Va ,fibrous and more or less flexible nature, and most conveniently of frictioned fabric, that is, fabric which, has been rubberized or impregnated with rubber. The inner face of each padconforms closely to the tire shoe eXterior,while the outer face 'is of a generally `smooth rounded outline an free of rentrant angles. The outer lateral faces of the pads are conveniently flattened somewhat in order that a number of sets o of the pad itself. This latter form is found These fabric pads extend upwardly along the sides of the tire shoe, conveniently about half way to the top of the tire as indicated at 6. 'Wrappings 7 which areusually of fabric strips or tape are wound around thev as semblage of core, tire shoe, and side pads to hold the same firmly together during the subsequent curing treatment; These vwrappings are best applied somewhat moist an by their shrinking during the vulcanizing or curing operation, they serve to produce a substantially uniform constricting pressure over the entire outer surface of the tire shoe. In Fig. 3. the core Slis shown as solid in of the types described in the copending appad reinforcement; and Figs. 3 and 4 arev in practice to' be particularly advantageous.y

cross section and is somewhat similar to one- Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 1"` apparatus may be superposed -and firmlyy ion lOl

lication 612,812 before referred to .wherein ber dough down over the edges of the ring during the curing of the tire. Pads '133 are constructed similarly in a general way to those before described. their inner faces being shaped to engage closely the lower portions of the tire shoe and the retaining ring. The reinforcing n1embers14 are in this instance advantageously annular channels embedded in and surrounded by the fibrous material of the pad. as before.

Fig. 4 illustrates still another embodiment of the invention useful in making straight edge tires. In this type of apparatus, the mold pads 15 are'of a generally Atriangular cross-section, and are of a diameter such that their inner peripheral faces are substantially flush with the outer peripheral faces of the flanges on the retaining ring. Embedded in the fibrous material of each pad is an annular reinforcing member 16 of steel or the like. The other elements of the apparatus are substantially as in Fig. 3. With this form of apparatus, the pads do not, of course, abut; nor is their inward movement against the tire beads in any way limited or determined by the retaining ring flanges or other positive means. The extent of such inward movement is determined solely by the resistance of the tire beads themselves to the compressive strain forcing the mold pads against them. As shown in the drawing the fabric wrappings span an annular space between the wrappings and the lateral surfaces of the retaining ring. This space may be partially or wholly filled by means of suitable filling rings; but ordinarily this is not necessary since the character of the constricting pressure of the spanning tape against the pads thus obtained is advantageous rather than otherwise.

The method of employmg the apparatus described is sufficiently obvious from the foregoing.` The tire carcass is first built 'up on the core or mandrel by applying a plurality of plies or rubber-treated fabric 4thereto and ironing them down into close contact therewith. Rubber "dough, that is, soft'rubber with suitable admiXed filling materials and vulcanizing agents is then applied to the built-up carcass and shaped to give the contour of a finished tire. The mold pads are then set in place, one on each side of the tire, and are pressed into close contact with the tire. Finally, moist fabric wrappings or tape are wound tightly around the assemblage of core, tire, and mold pads, and the whole is subjected to a suitable vulcanizing process, such as treatment with steam under pressure, for an approprlate period of time. In this vulcanizing operation, t-he moist tape wrappings shrink considerably and are thus put under increased tension. By reason of the flexible and more or less yielding nature of the reinforced fabric pads, this tension produces a substantially uniform constrictive pressure over the entire surface of the tire in contact with the pads. Slight inequalities land irregularities in the tire surface do not materially affect the uniformity of this pressure, since the non-rigid character of the pad faces enables the pads to accommodate themselves 'readily to such superficial inequalities and to secure good contact with the tire surfaces at all points in the portions covered by the pads. The outer portions of the tire not covered by the pads are of course in contact with the tape Awrappings and are subjected thereby to direct constrictive pressure of a similar character to that just described. The whole exterior of the tire is thus cured under practically uniform pressure and out of contact with metal, and under conditions which are substantially those of the desirable open cure. At t-he same time, the warping of the fabric pads is entirely prevented by the steel reinforcing members, which, however, in no wa adversely affect the desirable qualities of t e fabric pads not so reinforced.

That I claim is:-

`1. Apparatus for making tires, comprising an annular core shaped to fit the interior of a tire shoe, and 'a pair of annular side pads for holding a tire shoe on said core, each of said pads comprisin fibrous nonmetallic material Within whic is embedded and isolated a continuous annular reinforc-V ing body.

2. Apparatus for making tires, comprising, in combination with an annular core or mandrel adapted to have a tire body mounted thereon, annular mold pads laterally contacting with said tire and holding the same against said core, each of said padscomprising fibrous non-metallic material and suitable stiffening and reinforcing means therefor.

3. Apparatus for making tires, comprising, in combination with an annular core or mandrel adapted to have a tire body mountedthereon, annular mold pads laterally contacting with said tire and holding the same against said core, each of said pads comprising fibrous non-metallic material and suitable stiffening and reinforcing means therefor, and fabric Vwrappings surroundin and securing together the assemblage o parts enumerated when the tire is in place.

4. Apparatus for making tires, comprising an annular core shaped to tit the interior of a tire shoe, and a pair of `annular side pads for holding a tire shoe on said core, each of said pads comprising fibrous nonmetallic material within which is embedded and isolated a continuous steel annulus.

5. In apparatus for making tires, an an- :nular mold pad comprisingrubberized fabric and a reinforcing steel annulus embedded in and surrounded by said fabric.I

6. An apparatus for making tires, a mold pad comprising an annular body of brous non-metallic material, and stiffening and reinforcing means embedded in and surrounded by said material.

7. In apparatus for making tires, a mold pad comprising an annular body of fibrous in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH NORMAN si'r'ra'nl'wilra.

VVitilesses':

NELSON E.CRAM1-:R. A. H. BA'rrrnA Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addregsing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. u 

